Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Did Crist Aide Steal Rudy's PlayBook

- Suspicion ran high yesterday that RudyGiuliani's lost White House campaign playbook was swiped by aides toFlorida's new governor - while the ex-mayor was helping him winelection, sources told The Post.

Giuliani's aides were tightlipped about how it disappeared, but saidit happened during a private plane ride on the campaign trail for2006 candidates. They included Florida Gov. Charles Crist.

"During one leg of his campaign travel, all luggage was removedfrom a private plane and later put back on," said Giuliani'sspokeswoman, Sunny Mindel.

"However, one staffer's bag was not returned. After repeatedrequests over the course of a few days, the bag was finallyreturned with the document inside.

"Because our staffer had custody of this document at all timesexcept for this one occasion, it is clear that the documentwas removed from the luggage and photocopied," she added,stopping short of saying it was stolen.

"Voters are sick and tired of dirty tricks. They areinterested in substantive issues and want leaders like Rudywho are as well," Mindel said.

But operatives outside Giuliani's camp said the book wastaken during a campaign swing for Crist - a Republican,like Giuliani - whose inauguration to replace Jeb Bush asFlorida's governor took place yesterday.

Crist's aides didn't return calls for comment.

Both Giuliani and Sen. John McCain campaigned forCrist during the fall.

Giuliani aides repeatedly refused to detail thespecific plans of the internal document, which isbelieved to belong to Giuliani's nationalfund-raiser, Anne Dickerson, and is described as acash-raising plan.

The book, made public in a report yesterday, alsocontained notes about Giuliani's potentialpersonal liabilities, including ex-wife DonnaHanover and scandal-scarred former PoliceCommissioner Bernard Kerik.

Losing control of internal documents was apublic embarrassment as he embarks on apotential presidential run.

Mindel described it as an outdated book thatwasn't part of central planning, saying, "It'sabout as relevant today as a grocery list inearly October . . . in pencil."

But the book was potentially damaging forGiuliani among political insiders anduncommitted donors, whom McCain has beenmoving to lock up on his side.

McCain strategist John Weaver said histeam knew nothing about how the book wentpublic and mocked Giuliani over losingtrack of it.

Weaver, in a reference to the formermayor's private-sector business, toldthe Politicker blog: "I thought it was asecurity company."

The information in the book reportedlyputs Giuliani's fund-raising goals at$100 million for 2007, a numberpolitical experts called low.